Night Sweats

If you wake up with drenched sheets or bed clothing, you may suffer from night sweats. This condition is also called sleep sweats and is referred to medically as sleep hyperhidrosis.

Profuse sweating during sleep usually begins in the late teens or early adulthood. Generally, this drenching sweat occurs for no known reason and is not indicative of a health problem.

It may be caused by something as simple as an overheated room or too many blankets on the bed.

If you or someone in your family has sleep sweats on a regular basis, it could be a symptom of a number of health issues. See your doctor and have a thorough checkup to rule out any underlying medical problems that need to be addressed

Sleep hyperhidrosis, which is a relatively common occurrence, has been associated with fevers, sunburn, menopause, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy, HIV, infections, pregnancy, and sleep apnea, among others. In one survey, 66 percent of sleep apnea sufferers reported excessive sleep sweats.

Other causes of sweating at night during sleep are thought to be a result of the following.

Infrequently, sweating while sleeping is a symptom of a serious disease such as lung disease, tuberculosis, or cancer such as Hodgkin's disease.

Scientists classify sleep hyperhidrosis severity by degrees, ranging from waking up and needing to turn over the pillow to a complete drenching that requires a shower and a change of bedding.

Medical treatment, if required, is aimed at treating the underlying disorder or disease that is causing the sweating. If your doctor doesn't find a physical basis for your soaking symptoms, follow these guidelines to reduce or eliminate sleep sweating.